Under his spell
by mfindlow
Summary: A night out to see a magician's show has a greater impact on Jack that he knows. (hoping to develop this into a longer fic)


Author notes: Written for Fan-Flashworks Challenge 118 - Wager

'Tell me why we're here again?' Jack asked Gwen.

'It was meant to be a night out with Rhys's parents, but his mum cancelled because she was sick.' She glanced over at the bar where Rhys was getting drinks. 'Rhys didn't want the extra tickets to go to waste.'

Jack picked up the flyer off the dimly lit table they were huddled around and looked at it with disdain.

'Darko the magnificent? Really? I told you to keep hold of your life, not to lose your mind.'

Before Gwen could reply Rhys returned with the drink laden tray and started passing them around.

'Thanks for coming tonight, tickets cost us forty quid each. You sure I can't get you something stronger?' he asked, eyeing Jack's glass of water.

'Don't tempt me,' he replied, receiving a withering look from Gwen and an elbow in his side from Ianto for his troubles.

'Happy to help out,' said Ianto placatingly.

As the crowd started to settle at tables and perched on stools by the bar, the noise lessened to a quiet hush.

Somewhere overhead, a PA system announced the magician's entry on stage.

Jack was a little surprised to see the man that appeared. He'd bumped into him in the doorway of the club half an hour ago, receiving a queer yet somewhat discerning look as he made to apologise. Poor guy didn't even know to use the stage entrance round the back of the club, he thought. It was going to be a long evening.

Darko carried all of the usual pomp and theatricality of a magician, right down to the cape and top hat.

He pulled a small stuffed sheep from his hat for an opener but it fell flat with the audience. If there was one thing Jack had learned from all his time stationed in Cardiff, it was that local self deprecation was acceptable and even amusing, but from the mouth of an outsider it was viewed as thinly veiled racism.

Still, Darko managed to move past his fumbling warm up with all of the arrogance that was bred from a life in front of an audience, and continued with his repertoire of tricks, receiving mildly appreciative applause.

It was hard to tell from their expressions whether Gwen, Ianto and Rhys were genuinely amused, or merely conforming with the rest of the audience.

Jack was bored. He'd seen it all and more in the Vegas galaxy. Hell, he'd learnt plenty of their tricks himself, which had stood him in good stead in his years as a conman. It was going to take more than than this tin-penny trickster to impress him.

'I need,' Darko announced grandly, 'a volunteer from the audience.'

Jack leaned across to Gwen. 'Maybe we could get him to saw Rhys in half,' he whispered. 'Then again, he might actually saw him in half but not be able to put him back together.'

Gwen couldn't help but giggle.

'You there!' Darko shouted. Gwen's faced immediately took on a guilty and slightly shocked look. Jack leaned back and crossed his arms, smiling bemusedly. Now things were getting interesting.

Darko stepped down from the stage and snaked his way through the audience, showing much more grace than he had earlier when he'd collided with Jack.

'I normally select beautiful women for my assistants, but you sir look perfect for what I need.'

Three confused faces turned to look at Jack, and it was only then that he realised the magician was referring to him. Despite the absurdity, he felt his ego inflate slightly with the attention.

'What is your name sir?'

'Captain Jack Harkness.'

'Captain? And where is your ship sir?'

'Left it parked out in the bay. Hope I don't get a ticket.'

Darko seemed amused by his self assuredness.

'Perhaps you would care to join me on stage?'

'I do love an audience,' Jack smirked. He could sense three pairs of eyes rolling at him.

'Very good. Now if you'll just sit down in this chair for me, we will have a little fun with some hypnosis.'

'Well, I should mention that I'm pretty hard to hypnotise.' Jack was starting to enjoy himself now.

'Never fear Jack, do you mind if I call you Jack? Captain is just so terribly formal. I'm quite skilled in hypnosis. What's say we have a wager on it, eh? Anything valuable you could put up as surety?'

'Only my boyfriend. He's sexy as hell and makes a mean cup of coffee.'

Ianto slunk down in his seat, mortified as the audiences attention was momentarily turned towards him.

'Mmm, I'm not sure he'd appreciate that,' tutted Darko. 'Perhaps something slightly less valuable. A watch maybe? I notice you have two' he said, looking down at Jack's vortex manipulator.

'What can I say, I'm rubbish with time zones.' Jack carefully unstrapped his real watch and handed it over.

'Excellent. Now being that I am an honest man, I will return this to you afterwards, as it would be wrong of me to rob you so easily.'

Jack was starting to tire of the melodramatics but played along just the same.

Darko began his hypnosis induction as the audience looked on. Jack remained still but alert as he listened. After a few minutes Darko ceased his mantra.

'Now, Jack, I'm going to give you a trigger word, just a made up word, but when you hear the trigger word you're going to tell us a story. If you understand just nod or say yes.'

Jack nodded.

'Good, now, "Artesia". Tell me where you are Jack.'

'I'm in an elevator. It's taking me to somewhere underground.'

'Describe the underground place for me.'

'It's like a secret lair, all concrete and metal gangway size , computers and gadgets. A great big metal tower in the middle of it sitting in a pool of water.'

'Is there anyone else there?'

'A woman sitting at a computer, and a man in a suit feeding a pterodactyl.'

The audience laughed.

'What's he playing at?' hissed Rhys.

Gwen didn't know, and she exchanged a worried glance with Ianto.

'He's just play acting right? You don't think he's really, do you?'

'No,' Ianto replied, not feeling quite as convinced as he sounded. Jack wouldn't. I mean, it all sounded completely mad coming out of his mouth, even if it was the truth. Who would believe him anyway?

Darko repeated the trigger word and asked Jack to continue his story.

Jack lead them down the tunnels, describing monsters in boiler suits locked up in cells, eliciting more laughter from the audience. Down and down he went, tunnel after tunnel, into the archives, along rows of shelves until he found a box and opened it. Inside was a gleaming crystal cube. He described it as shining, like it was full of liquid silver, but that no matter what he tried, it wouldn't work.

What was it supposed to do? asked Darko. Jack didn't know.

Darko let it be and thanked him for the story. Making a show of it, he released Jack from his hypnotic state.

Everyone in the audience clapped except for three who relaxed slightly from the edge of their seats, relieved that Jack had not given anything away.

Certainly his story had been elaborate, even by his standards, but surely he had made it all up for the benefit of the magician after all.

As Jack made to leave the stage he was halted.

'Don't forget your watch, sir. Like I said, I'm a man of honor and our wager was vastly unfair.'

Jack looked partly confused. What wager?

As he sat back down at the table three faces looked at him questioningly.

'Gotta say I'm impressed. All his talk of hypnosis and all he wanted was to distract me long enough to steal my watch!'


End file.
